You Tuber Sinks

[Shrew]

I saw the You Tube post last night. The whole thing was kind of 'teased' with a quick merch. plug, complete with sinking vessel logo. I think of 'sinking' and 'flooding' as two separate things. It's not clear which they actually experienced. Then again, I kind of stopped watching after one of their first posts where they lost their dinghy "offshore", which is apparently 1 mile north of North Light on Block Island, RI.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by Group9

The biggest problem with any bung is when you are not there to put them in the thru hull that has failed. That's my fear, and exactly what happened to Wicked Salty.

A good reason to close them when gone...very unlikely to fail at the skin if in good condition.

[Fuss]

Originally Posted by maxingout

Thru hulls are just plain scary.



I have had two of the marelon ones break off, and thats why I have bungs tied to every through hull.



Both of the marelon failures involved small size through hulls and there was only a gentle bump of the hand that sheared them off.



It's probably a good idea to give through hulls some type of a stress test at least once a year when you are in the boatyard to identify potential failures that could sink your boat.

Marelon fittings don't shear off, they remain flexible, so for example, if you hit one continuously with a sledge hammer it deforms but does not break. That's why people pay big money for them.
Are you really sure you had Marelon?
Once this happened to you, did you inform the manufacturer?
The boating world does not buy Marelon to have things like this happen....if they really shear off, then the boating world would not buy them. They are a critical item.

[hellosailor]

"I have had two of the marelon ones break off,"
Informal poll, and yes, I too ask if you're SURE they were genuine Marelon(R) rather than just "black plastic". And whether they were a PO's DIY installation, or a proper installation, done where someone couldn't just step on them.
Having confirmed all the "confidential" mystery alloy blends being used in metal thru-hulls, and the galvanic failures in those...genuine Marelon may be the best "metal" out there, even if it does have failures.

[SV Bacchus]

Originally Posted by Suijin

Of course, the failure may not have been something that could have been anticipated or spotted in advance, but that's pretty rare.

I haven't watched their latest series of videos so this is a new to them boat, right? Anyone know if they had a survey and wouldn't/shouldn't the survey have mentioned that if it was so bad it was about to "let loose"?

[SV Bacchus]

Originally Posted by funjohnson

Was it the though hull that sheered or the valve/seacock? Which type where they?

Matt

Agreed Matt, that would be good to know!

[DeepFrz]

We have had a number of discussions about Marelon valves/through hulls. Maine Sail did a test on them. I don't remember the results but they are on his website. I have noticed, however, that Marelon have strengthened their through hulls with slide on collars. I would recommend anyone with the old style Marelon through hulls to check out the collars.

I would think that a through hull external flange breaking off to be over tightening or a collision with something.

I'm also wondering if there were Gray Market items being passed off as Marelon.

[hellosailor]

They didn't say, Matt. Which could be why one poster called their episode clickbait.

These days anything can be counterfeit including a lot of crap-o ersatz stainless clamps.

And, while I give those folks, and a lot of others, great credit for having the courage to say "You know what? Let's go sailing NOW and we'll pick up the rest on the way", I also have to wonder, doesn't anybody READ anymore? So many classic sailing books have referenced damage control and flooding, and they all say "Get your face and hands in the water and check each f*ing through hull!".

I wait with baited breath to find out why they seem to have just left it on the mooring to see if a magic super-pump de-watering rescue fairy was going to come. (Yes, appearances can be deceiving. Doubtless there were excellent reasons for not venturing aboard and finding the leak. Doubtless.)

Quite seriously, sometimes I wonder if the serious sailor mightn't want to get a batch of glow-in-the-dark arrows, and put one on the wall above each potential hole in the hull. Kinda like the big red "Extinguisher" signs you see. Because you may know where they are...yeah, but what about the other folks who are looking for them?

[SV THIRD DAY]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

Quite seriously, sometimes I wonder if the serious sailor mightn't want to get a batch of glow-in-the-dark arrows, and put one on the wall above each potential hole in the hull.

I could find my through hulls blinded folded, in the dark with one arm tied behind my back and salt water being sprayed in my face.
Surely I'm not the only one....

[Group9]

Originally Posted by belizesailor

A good reason to close them when gone...very unlikely to fail at the skin if in good condition.

My big fear is always my A/C cooling water intake. We leave the A/C on most of the time, even when we're not aboard. Calculated risk.

[xslim]

So yesterday I saw their you tube video...
And today in the morning in my home marina I saw a boat sank while being tied to the dock.
From what I know - sink drain hose parted from tru hole.

Now that is scary - how can you prevent this properly? Double clamping?

See pic in attachment - you can see a mast sticking out. That sailboat is like 45 ft long...

[CarlF]

Yes bungs only work if you are on the boat and catch it before the water is too high to work. Closing seacocks was reasonable in the 1970's when there might only be an engine intake. Not practical in a today's larger and more complicated boats - especially with air conditioning. Replacing all below waterline hoses on a regular schedule is the best answer. I don't know of any hose that is warranted for more than six years so that's what I do.

And bungs only work if you have a nice round hole sheared off flat. Get a couple of tubs of Stay-afloat. Defender stocks it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=888wQhRcmjQ

Forespar has two kinds of Marelon seacocks. One has a long list of horror stories - including the handles break off. But I've NEVER had (or heard of) a problem with the "OEM" (also called Series 93). It's a great seacock. Strong, no corrosion worries, no maintenance beyond cycling it a few times every six months. This is the one that passed Maine Sails ABYC test. You don't have to be an OEM to buy them. While bronze is a little stonger, failure from corrosion is all too common.

[Matt Johnson]

Originally Posted by belizesailor

A good reason to close them when gone...very unlikely to fail at the skin if in good condition.

Haven't watched their videos, but from a discussion at the marina last night, it seems they hadn't left the boat for long. They were just out provisioning for an afternoon. I don't know many full time cruisers that close their seacocks every time they finish using a device (like the head). We leave ours open unless the boat is left for an extended period of time.

We see people pulling and replacing seacocks and through hulls just about every day in the yard. Always seems strange they go through this amount of trouble/cost and then put on the same old hose.



Matt

[Matt Johnson]

Originally Posted by xslim

So yesterday I saw their you tube video...
And today in the morning in my home marina I saw a boat sank while being tied to the dock.
From what I know - sink drain hose parted from tru hole.

Now that is scary - how can you prevent this properly? Double clamping?

See pic in attachment - you can see a mast sticking out. That sailboat is like 45 ft long...

Hose doesn't just slip off a barb unless it was the wrong size/type. Double clamping is required below the waterline (ABYC in the US) and I'm sure it's similar in the EU. It's unlikely to have two proper hose clamps fail without some kind of warning signs (rust) and the two clamps combine to give more even pressure on the hose/barb.

I'm guessing your boat is similar to ours.... welded pipe and a threaded valve on the top. Our valves are Marlon and I'm pretty sure you could dance on them all day long and do no damage.

Matt

[xslim]

Originally Posted by funjohnson

Hose doesn't just slip off a barb unless it was the wrong size/type. Double clamping is required below the waterline (ABYC in the US) and I'm sure it's similar in the EU. It's unlikely to have two proper hose clamps fail without some kind of warning signs (rust).

I'm guessing your boat is similar to ours.... welded pipe and a threaded valve on the top. Our valves are Marlon and I'm pretty sure you could dance on them all day long and do no damage.

Matt

No, actually mine is not welded pipe, just holes.
I’ve replaced this year to trudesign seakocs.

About double clamping - i have here a possibility either to double clamp or to use a very big strong wide single clamp... which one is better - no idea...